Faux Tearing Technique

Hello Everyone

Today I am sharing a card we made at class at the end of last year. It is a technique I taught at my first ever class three years before, so I thought it was time to revisit it!

We used the faux tearing technique to create this card.

To do this we tore a piece of copy paper in half and folded the edges around the back of the Whisper White cardstock, securing it at the back with snail. (I prefer this to using temporary adhesive on the front, because it is so easy to mark the front by mistake).

Holding the torn paper down, we used Stampin' Sponges to sponge over the revealed strip of cardstock. The images were also stamped before removing the paper mask.

We stamped images from Nature Walk using Early Espresso ink. The sponging is done with Crumb Cake ink and the greeting comes from Petite Pairs.

We finished the card with Bakers Twine in Lucky Limeade.


Love Elizabeth X

Hello Everyone

Greenhouse Garden is one of my long-time favourites. Here are two cards I have made using this set. The first was done as a workshop demonstration. Here I stamped the flowers in Baja Breeze and stamped over in Not Quite Navy.

The butterflies are cut using the Beautiful Butterflies Embosslit die. The background is created with the Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel and the ribbon is Baja Breeze Seam Binding.

My second card is in a brighter colour way - Wisteria Wonder and Concord Crush - a lovely combination - and it is not long until Concord Crush is retiring - I will SO miss it.

I used the Framelits die to create the white front to card and used the butterfly from Nature Walk to add some impact. The greeting comes from Party This Way.

I hope you have enjoyed your walk around my Greenhouse Garden :)

Love Elizabeth X

Glass Glitter Butterfly

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When I saw the new Glass Glitter in the mini catalogue, I was intrigued to try it. I had a few experiments with a range of adhesives to see what worked best and found the easiest was sticky strip.

To make this card, I first stamped the background using two butterfly images. One is the single stamp called All a Flutter and the one with closed wings is from Nature Walk. I wanted to focus to be on the 'bling butterfly', so I used black stazon ink for a monochrome background.

Next I covered a small rectangle of of cardstock with sticky strip, (note: we don't have the adhesive sheets in the UK, or I would have used them!) I then cut the butterfly with the Beautiful Butterflies die, before removing the sticky strip backing.

I always keep my glitter in tupperware type boxes, so I was able to press the butterfly firmly down into the glitter and then shake off the excess.

I made his body with a piece of 1/4" black taffeta ribbon, snipped at the top to create antenae, which I topped with rhinestones. How blingy is that butterfly? LOL

Now in the catalogue it says that these glitters, (they come in 3 colour choices), are designed to tarnish over time to give an a vintage look. Well I made my first projects with it about 3 months ago - and no tarnishing has taken place yet! :) So if any of you U.S./Canadian or Aussie demos can tell me how long we wait for tarnishing to occur - I would be delighted to know! LOL

Concord Crush Trio

Hello Everyone

Another three sample cards from me today - this time all based on the yummy Concord Crush cardstock and ink...

All these cards feature stamp sets from the Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue - which you can see in full by clicking the link at the top of this blog.

The first one is the stamp set I fell in love with as soon as I saw it. It is called Nature Walk and has a feel of botanical drawings...

I started by cutting a Whisper White top note shape with my trusty Big Shot stamped all over using the script stamp from French Foliage, (more of that set coming up). I stamped the eggs, bird and butterfly images in Basic Grey ink and used the marker to stamp technique to stamp the flower.

This card started with the frame from the Notably Ornate stamp set. The topper is done with the frame from Four Frames, which matches the Decorative Label punch. The three little images are from Itty Bitty Bits, which also go with a trio of matching punches.

Now for my favourite stamp set from the Mini Catalogue - French Foliage. You know I almost didn't buy this set - it was springtime and it seemed such an autumn set - but I am SO glad I ended up getting it. It is the most forgiving set I have ever stamped with - you just stamp and everything looks fabby! And it works in every colour too - which you wouldn't imagine.

I used a little Newprint DSP and cut it with the Top Note die. I also cut several circles with the Circle #2 die.
I then used the back of the smaller circle in each case to create a mask and daubed to make a frame. Then I stamped to my hearts content with those lovely French Foliage images.

Hope you like my trio of cards - which is your favourite?

May Class Watercolouring

Hello Everyone

With just a few days until my Customer Thank You Party, I am rushed off my feet making samples and planning the goodies I am going to bake for my lovely ladies.

I am just pausing to show you one of our May class projects.

Sometimes you see a stamp set and just KNOW you have to own it. As some of you know, as a demo you can earn free stamp sets, (ask me how if you don't know). I had earned a couple and was allowed to order them from the middle of March- but I just couldn't wait - I had to have this one straight away!

It is called Nature Walk and can be found in the Mini Catalogue.

The bontanical images work well in so many colours, but I chose a spring pallet of Pretty in Pink, Garden Green, River Rock on Sahara Sand cardstock.

As I have said before, watercolouring is not my strong suit, but with a blender pen and aqua painter in hand I had a play! The image on the right is actually done with the marker direct to stamp technqiue.

The tag is cut with the new Decorative Label punch - which I am loving - such a great shape and a good size. It goes with the Four Frames stamp set too, (see below).

As you can see they have four different designs, each very different. Can't you see the bird one done as a robin come December?

OK - back to the party planning. Back in a couple of days with another project.

Mini Book Class

Hello Everyone

I have had a few requests for a Scrapbook Mini-book Class, so ran one for 6 special ladies earlier this month. We made three little mini books, suitable for different occasions. In fact this class was so popular, I have to run it again for those that couldn't get a spot!

This is the room set up ready for everyone to arrive...

Inside the packs, which featured the fabby Elegant Soiree Designer Paper, were enough goodies to make all three mini books, with plenty of goodies to take home to do more craft projects. This is what was in each pack...

So do you want to see what we made....? We did three little mini albums for a range of occasions.

With the Royal wedding in mind, I though I would teach a wedding mini album. I designed this many, many years ago and updated it with some fabby Stampin' Up! stamps and pearls.

After unlacing the ribbon at the front the mini book unfolds....I love the paper lace and vellum layers...

Inside the mini book folds out to a 12" X 12" page with plenty of room for pictures and journalling. We used lots of stamps from Notably Ornate, Always Elegant and Baroque Motifs to create the panels.

Next we made a funky Top Note mini book. You will notice a colour theme here. The class included half a pack of Elegant Soiree designer paper, matching cardstock and pearls.

My lovely ladies could bring photos, or make up the mini books ready to add pictures and journalling later. We all had a go with the Big Shot and Top Note die, to make our chipboard, cardstock and designer paper pages - I love the way the Big Shot cuts through so many materials.

Inside we decorated those pages using punches and layers. You can see the Ornate Bloom stamp used as a background here.

So after a break for refreshments, we were back to make our final mini book - this time a pull out book, (similar to those we used to be taught to make with toilet rolls - so much nicer to do with card stock! LOL)

The front panel here is made with a mixture of punches and one of the Lots of Tags dies, made with the Big Shot. Inside is stamped with images from the Nature Walk stamp set - this would make a lovely summery album.

As you can see, Diana, Jan O, Jan S, Sophie, Rita and Sara had a great day - I hope you like our mini books.

We have more 'special' classes coming up shortly- let me know if you would like to come along.

Family Creations

Hello Everyone

Today I sharing two little projects I made for my family members recently.

First my sister had her birthday a couple of weeks ago. Maria and I are buying each other a sisters' day out later in the year for our birthdays, (we are going to a show, cream tea and a fabby dinner), but I wanted to give her a little something to open on her special day.

I bought her a little pot of eyeshadow and made a pretty little gift box for it using the Big Shot machine and a Mini Milk Carton die.

It is closed with a paperclip with a little narrow taffeta ribbon in Marina Mist to match the ink I used. Did you notice the French Foliage stamps in evidence again? I am loving that set so much.

I finished the box with the M from Broadsheet Alphabet and a rhinestone for a bit of birthday bling!

My next card features another stamp set I really love - Just Believe. I made this as a Mothers' Day card, (for my US visitors, Mother's day is earlier in the UK).

I had a play with my Colour Spritzer Tool to get the speckled effect on the Sahara Sand card. The flower is stamped in White Craft Ink and I finished the card with a button threaded with Linen Thread.

Inside I used a top note insert, the butterfly comes from Nature Walk, (another lovely stamp set from the new Mini Catalogue) and the sentiment is from Occasional Greetings - a very useful set to own.

Back with some more projects soon.